2016 saw the third consecutive annual jump in fatal work injuries. The year also marked the first time in nearly a decade that the number of work-related deaths surpassed 5,000.

Transportation accidents remained the most common cause of work deaths, accounting for 40% of the fatalities. Such incidents were responsible for 2,083 fatalities in 2016, according to the bureau.

Violence committed by people or animals increased 23% to become the second-leading cause of work-related deaths. Such violence accounted for 866 deaths. Workplace homicides increased by 83 to reach 500. Workplace suicides increased by 62 to reach 291.

On-the-job overdoses from non-medical use of drugs or alcohol jumped from 165 in 2015 to 217 in 2016 — a 32-% increase. Since 2012, overdose fatalities have risen by at least 25% annually, statistics show.

Fall, slip and trip deaths increased 6%, totaling 849 deaths.

In 2016, fatal overdoses from the non-medical use of drugs or alcohol while on the job increased 32 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Photo by 51fifty via Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.

In response to the new data, the National Safety Council called on employers to ensure they have policies and training in place to address the major causes of work-related fatalities — including the ongoing opioid crisis and worker fatigue.

“Leadership should set the tone from the top and engage all workers in safety, continually looking to identify and mitigate workplace safety hazards and measuring safety performance using leading indicators to ensure continuous improvement,” NSC said in a released statement.

Under Sam Faucette’s leadership, Old Dominion’s safety performance has improved year after year, even as the company’s driver workforce, service center locations and annual mileage has tripled in that time.

Thanksgiving was the second deadliest holiday on the roads in 2017, and this year some 433 people could lose their lives in traffic fatalities during the holiday period, according to the latest estimates from the National Safety Council.

Could drivers be more drowsy on Tuesday mornings because of Monday Night Football? And what does wearing a seat belt have to do with the likelihood of having a crash? Those are among the insights Lytx shared at the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition.

For the moderately sized retail and grocery fleets that work with third-party logistics provider Zipline Logistics, the effect of the electronic logging device mandate isn’t as significant as the driver shortage.